P. S.    Where the Spirit of God is there is justice, one of God's chief attributes!  How can it take a half of a year to expel one who you all know does not deserve to preside over you or any of us?  Why are you not outraged and indignant that such an unrepentant sinner, according to three witnesses, is your head?  What is the matter with you?  Do you expect the rest of us to have confidence in any of you and listen to your words when you are so devoid of the Spirit of the Living God concerning this crucial attribute?  Are you more afraid of losing your honor, or your exalted position in the Work, than doing what is right?  Why are you more angry with me when I am only preaching the truth to you, than you are angry with him who "presides" over you and is not repentant?

Then He began to upbraid   [reprove with severity]   Woe  unto thee, Bluffdale     [woe = covenant curses Jesus pronounces on those who are not filled with the Godly attribute of justice],    woe unto thee, Harvest Haven, woe unto thee Rocky Ridge, woe unto thee Pinesdale, if the mighty things had been preached and written unto the Gentiles, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you ... it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for thee.     [see Matt. 11:20-24]

Then the ["holy order" sanhedrim] ... went out and held a council against him   [any servant preaching repentance and judge a righteous judgment],   how they might destroy him....  Behold my servant   [that should be all of us who bear the priesthood],   whom I have chosen ... I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment   [announce justice to the Gentiles ... until he has made justice victorious...] ...    Every kingdom divided against itself   [some for justice and some for condoning sin with no repentance]    is brought to desolation; ... He that is not with me is against me ... whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him... O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil    [not repentant]    speak good things? ... whosoever shall do the will of my Father   [judge a righteous judgment] ...   the same is my brother and sister, and mother."    [Matt 12:14-50]

You are being weighed in the balance.  Don't wait too long to do what is right.  Let the consequences follow!

What is the Matrix you are held captive by? 

“Neo”, or the new man emerged into his new life, by first having to unplug from the advanced, technological, all-encompassing sensory system that feed his spectator occupied body, housed in a cradle to grave pod of security.  He actively and instinctively freed himself one feeding tube at a time.  He began to see where he really was - what his status was before God.  “No, it can’t be true!”  He began to awaken to a sense of his awful situation.  (Ether 8:24)  He could barely believe what his eyes were beginning to see.  Could it really be that bad?  He had trouble letting go of his traditional emotional reactions, even while grasping where he actually was in God's universe.  His beloved life in Babylon was all an illusion, an artificial world, not the real world God intended him to live and grow in.  But with his seeing came consequences as payment.  He was moving from a “lost and fallen state” more and more into the process of becoming a new creation.  He was becoming responsible for his choices and learning how to act and not just be acted upon as a battery being placed in a flashlight. 

Then, in quick succession, the foundation of his world dropped out from under him literally, and it was as if he was being flushed down the Babylonian toilet as a punishment for wanting to live life more abundantly.  He hoped it would get better but almost immediately he was drowning, engulfed with experiences that he was not trained or equipped to handle even a little bit.  Within only a few minutes of clearly discerning, by revelatory experience, the difference between good and evil, he was ready to quit, being totally overwhelmed as he desperately cried out for saving.  At the last possible moment before he was absolutely destroyed, he was lifted out of the all encompassing despair of feeling utterly abandoned as he was drowning.  Next he became aware of his being snagged and gently lifted into the air and delivered to experience God's reality.  Again there was a price for gaining wisdom.  After paying the price again and again, he sometimes was not fully sure how much he liked being aware of what was real compared to what was an easy to swallow life of illusions and lies.  He was born anew, but the struggles of birth trauma, he soon learned, are just the beginning of powerful data and sensory input. He grew to realize that growth, if we choose, can keep accelerating from birth, on and on, can’t it?  His real purpose, his personal journey and mission for this life, were being gradually realized and courageously he raced forth valiantly developing into that new (Neo) man. 

Anyway that’s how I interpreted the movie.  Another way to look at our situation currently, in the Work, is to use the comparison of the maps or traditions we inherit, to the reality of truth from God’s perspective.  “The map is not the territory” metaphorically illustrates the differences between belief and reality. The phrase was coined by Alfred Korzybski a genius linguist. 

We are searching for a clear, accurate view of what has been prophesied about this Work by somebody who was a great and gifted seer. Nephi fits those prerequisites doesn’t he, as well as Jesus, of course?  One of Nephi’s mentors was Isaiah and he literally loved the words of Isaiah because they are so yummy and full of the Spirit of God.

“I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the … house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again.”   1 Ne 15:20

We see the house of Israel is being restored in our day but evidently the fulfillment of this prophecy is also in our future because we were scattered or driven out of the U.S. to Utah, were confounded by the US government and finally made “a covenant with death and hell” or our government, to surrender part of the Gospel in its fulness.  So between now and the second coming, we understand, is the time frame for the words of Isaiah to be fulfilled.

When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, He pinned down the time frame even more.

Jesus prophesied:  “then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which say:  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion.”     3 Ne 16:17-18

Again that is in our future for this very day we do not yet see eye to eye in the group nor are we singing the same song together.  Thus between now and when the Lord establishes Zion is the time frame for this prophecy to be fulfilled.  Also we might inquire just how important are the things that Isaiah has prophesied?  Are they talking about us as a people along with the Church and our nation? 

Yes.

Jesus said:  “Behold now I finish the commandment which the Father hath commanded me concerning this people, who are a remnant of the house of Israel.  Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled – behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them”    

Since the Father specifically commanded Jesus to speak to that remnant of Israel (which could include us if we repent), about the scriptures of Isaiah, He compassionately commanded us to search them to save our souls.  Searching them is more than reading them once a year, isn't it?  Because one of the main purposes of the Book of Mormon is to help us prepare just before the Second Coming, then these words must be very important indeed!     3 Ne 20:10-11

Jesus said:  “Now behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things.  Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.”     3 Ne 23:1

Are we like Neo, still caught in the matrix, thinking that we, as a people, are marching on to glory living celestial law, and all the while, from God’s exalted perspective we actually live on a steady diet of vomit and fecal matter and are drunkards in the spirit and customs of babylon?  Isaiah 28:7-8 in Gileadi’s translation and commentary says of us:

We may not want to believe Isaiah, Nephi, or Jesus' prophecy about us, but if we trust them and experiment by taking their words and seeing if they do apply to us, then can't we begin to change things for the good and repent? But if we prefer the spirit of superficial solutions found in many "soap operas," the babylonian vision of how our lives should be to make us fulfilled and happy, then we may only be trained to accept truth in 8 second sound bytes.  Then the famous line from another movie might scream out in our faces as well:  "You can't handle the truth!"

"Without prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint," don't they?  They throw it over.  They quit and break their covenants justifying themselves with whatever excuse is close at hand.

Let's briefly expand on an analogy Pres. Young offered on many occasions called "the Old Ship Zion."  I will modernize and embellish it just a bit.  By virtue of our baptisms, we booked passage on "the Old Ship Zion."  After baptism we all quickly made decisions that caused us to be placed on one of the four decks of the ship.  You guessed it, those following the Scriptures precisely are on the top deck or we could call them celestial prep candidates.  Those who dry up and wither when opposition and the gory details of others sins scorch them, consequently seek one of the lower decks away from such a heavy burden of light and responsibility, don't they?

Others, after receiving ordinances, are choked by the deceitfulness of money, out of bounds s.ex and desires for lording it "legally" over others finding themselves almost automatically exploring the lower decks of the ship where they find themselves very comfortable indeed.  Outright evil persons on "the Old Ship Zion" virtual wolves sometimes in presiding priesthood offices, like Bro. Cain, like the very stable bottom of the ship where they are hardly even aware of the sun, weather and of course the character building storms on the top deck.

The ship belongs to the King and He checks in frequently by Telepathy to his captains and stewards, those that are in-tune with Him directing the course of the Ship.  Everybody on board has a terminal sickness that sometimes seems almost like demon possession in its more advanced stages.  When they haven't got enough of the healing frequency inside of them, they make mistakes, become sharp with each other and display frequent stupid behavior.  If the head Captain and the sub leaders all "go down" at the same time, the "the Old Ship Zion" quickly veers off course away from the Port of Zion.  At times when the pilots were off course and out of tune for extended periods of time, they sometimes docked in the most evil of places participating in soul tarnishing behaviors. 

The only known medicine that slows down the stupor of spiritual sight and the coming of the fatal day, is prayer to the King, frequently studying and pondering during the day His teachings, and service to fellow passengers.  These duties greatly increase the passengers vitality, clarity of judgment, and overall well being.

As we look in on "the Old Ship Zion" we view her and her crew in one of those times of great crisis when the leaders arbitrary decisions have caused the rest of the servants on board to have lost almost all respect and confidence for the captains.  Simultaneously and dead ahead, this wonderful old ship is dangerously heading, off course, once again but toward a category 5 hurricane.  The unity and trust is at an all time low and the discipline and confidence in each other is virtually non existent.  Even the darker decks down below hear about what is coming and a feeling of dread fills the entire multitude on board.  It looks hopeless.  No one has been in tune enough to get direct word from the King and the pretending have clearly been shown to be possessed by a spirit of subterfuge, manipulation and self exaltation.  No one can read the compass, or steer the rudder toward the Celestial City, and people are so afraid, that myriads of the undisciplined panic and dive overboard into shark infested waters below, and are lost forever through surrendering to their fears. 

These first 10 Blogs have been at least PG-13 rated, I know, because it has been deemed necessary to apply some pretty strong conscience pressure to get the council to do the right thing even when it hurts.  They are the successors to the momentum of lots of cover-up of wrong among us, or doings which most of them have not had a hand in originating.

Bro. Ly.nn will be brought to trial and found guilty of serious wrong doing because there are more than 3 credible witnesses.  He will be dropped from the council and excommunicated much as I am now for only shinning a light on his doings.  I want to believe that he will begin his repentance process by confessing his sins, and will manfully step down from the illusion of presiding, and will take responsibility upon himself by paying the price for his wrongs.  The council, plus his friends and loved ones, because they can no longer condone what he has done, will, none the less, pray for him to have strength to be able to repent.  This will start a long process within the rest of us provoking us to repent more completely of our sins and spiritual deadness as well.  

Soon the infestation of "infallibility" and trusting the the fallen flesh of our leaders will be rooted out from among us as a dangerous virus and a polluting aberration of truth. We will begin to more fully resonate with the prophetic words of the head of this dispensation. 

"This morning . . . I visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that ‘a prophet is always a prophet'; but I told them that a prophet is a prophet only when he was acting as such" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:265).

People will begin to take much more responsibility for their "own salvation with fear and trembling."  The elect among us will step up craving spiritual maturity, and to qualify for the realization of actually being "partakers of the heavenly gift." 

The question will gradually be answered, how could such abominations be allowed by our shepherds who were supposed to be protecting us and leading us aright?  Also why were almost all the rest of us so dull and unaware of such great evil in our midst or, at least, lacked sufficient courage to do something about it, including the council?  If the other 11 wouldn't have resolutely stepped up and loudly proclaimed that iniquity will no longer be allowed to continue among us, they too would, of course, would have also become criminally prosecutable, for being accomplices.  They, obviously realize that they will need to work very hard to increase our confidence in them, and to help restore their image of being just or righteous men.  They will also need to aid us in understanding why it took them about a half year to get around to even beginning to establish justice and accountability among us.  Would they have done it if some would not have been pushing them - is a haunting question, isn’t it?

Because establishing a righteous and equitable priesthood justice system is our next task, the next two weeks I will be blogging on the rudiments of that system.  If there is a chance that you might be called to sit in on the courts that will be convened, you will want to spend a great deal of time and effort in mastering what I will be presenting as well as going beyond my elementary insights into more advanced understanding.  If you don't seriously and prayerfully invest quality time, you may be found guilty of helping to fulfill Isaiah's charge of evil against us, that there is no justice among this people.  Elders, Sisters, and the rising generation would also do well to master this material to lend your council, prayers and assistance to those who will bear that crucial burden of properly establishing righteous judgment among us, being powerfully propelled by the Spirit of the Living God.  Sunday school teachers, religion teachers, conductors of meetings might also be well advised to add their light and conviction to help all within this group to establish and to learn how to judge a righteous judgment.

We do believe in resurrection of dead bodies, like Lazarus's, the 2 Witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem, especially that of Jesus and also the apparently dead carcass of this Work.  Brave and spirit filled eagles will continue to gather around her dead and lifeless forms, while the yellow backed canaries will loudly chirp and most of them will fly away before they can be transformed into eagles by the power of God.  Which are you, an eagle, valiant in the testimony of Jesus, or a weak spined yellow canary?  We will soon see which kind you are, won’t we?

Now given the outside chance that the great temptation to “bury the garbage” without really solving our problems, again surfaces and begins to reign in this Work, then we will move from PG-13 rated content to the R and X rated documents and information about our leadership that will truly bring these “works of men” down to its knees in humility and repentance, hopefully propelling us back toward that which we are really here to do - the Work of God, or else the destructions decreed will bellow out the last blogs from God Himself.

To ensure that economic accountability is soundly established among us, checking the easy borrowing and gross misappropriation of tithing funds, it may become necessarily to tell more of the true story of how the VA Hill fiasco really started and who was really the pusher of that 6 million dollar deal.  It would also be right to clear up who took the fall for that huge mistake or who became the scapegoat and has quietly, and meekly born the onerous burden of that serious error in sound judgment, and he is still among us in the land of the living - an eagle.

The "Shortcrick" like marriage traditions among us are also confusing and polluting us at an alarming rate, and so that unsavory subject will have to be addressed in the future as well.  Too many of you, I am sad to say, will want to avoid those blogs if you are in the ranks of those who have ignorantly or knowingly committed adultery by re-marriage with someone else's God-joined covenant spouse.  Please prayerfully ponder 3 Ne 12:31-32.

Who does God really want to preside is even a stickier question yet to be answered.  It will be answered, and made manifest for all the righteous to see by the power of God.  The fact that the last two presidents fell into the temptation of using their “authority” or so called “keys” to illegally take other men’s wives, and then, later, both admitted that they were wrong and had been deceived, may also need to be addressed in some detail. If one can be deceived in using the “keys” contrary to correct principle then it is obvious that priesthood appointments and succession "revelations" are likewise subject to careful inspection.  May God have mercy on our sin bound souls, for those who choose to fully repent, is my sincere prayer for each of us.

Bro. Steve

I am writing this “0” blog, or introduction, after about 90 blogs are already written, and many of them have been entered, or cued into the blog platform, to auto post one at a time - day by day. 

Each of us are very multifaceted and complex.  We are composites of intense feelings, ideas, beliefs, fears, rage, disappointments and hopes for a brighter future - someday.  The concatenation of our experiences of good and evil in this life, sometimes seems to churn within us much as the changing weather of a broad ocean of eternity.   We have inherited partially accurate maps for guides from our ancestors, and our society surrounding us. We make almost every decision in our lives from incomplete and flawed data, always resulting in less than ideal outcomes.  We blame ourselves and others for our less than stellar performances, but we have each been placed into a contradictory matrix of imperfection, while, at the same time given the task of becoming complete like God our Father.  None of us have had perfect parents to start us right, and we sorely lament as we see ourselves also hand off insult and injury to our children and other loved ones, mixed with fallible attempts at love.

We are also each unique beings because of the hand tailored circumstances into which we have been plunged, and the decisions we have made up to now. The degree of correct principle we have understood, how much or how effectively we have been true to the light within us, determines who each of us is - this very moment. Our fallen nature seems to often push us into insisting that everybody around us should be created into our own “perfect” image. Even though we find ourselves doing that again and again, we, in more inspired moments, feebly attempt to direct our loved ones to Someone who has it all together and is complete in all His attributes and nature.

How can I convey in a few words how all those swirling attributes and experiences, a few of which are briefly mentioned above, are culminating, pulsating, and screaming forth into this blog, “Learn Justice”?  The intense pathos that drives me you will catch a glimpse of starting in Blog # 32!  That is about a three weeks away from here.

The first 10 Blogs are more introductory, giving you a window into the problems I see in this Work, and offer some significant areas in which we ought to repent before we suffer a fate similar to Jerusalem of old.

The next 14 Blogs [11-24] are a 101 Course in “What is Justice?” - how to establish it among us as a people, and what will happen to us if we don’t.

Blogs 25- 30 or 31 briefly touch upon some vomit and fecal matter on every table-like specific atrocities among us now, and that must be corrected quickly or we will be destroyed by God as a people!

Blogs 32 – 49 draw from the tragic sacrifice of most of my family to a blindness and evil that is so sinister that 40 years later I still have problems grasping the scope and intensity of it.  Hopefully, the “massacre” of my loved ones will not have been in vain, but will propel you toward the true saving Sacrifice which is at the center of our religion. These blogs will, if you can stomach it, give you some small degree of understanding of how huge the problem is gnawing away in the very vitals of our society.  This corruption ranges from the head to the tail of this people. 

Blogs 50 – 100 approximately, will cover doctrinal mis-beliefs that have almost canceled out this work from being viable and effective in its God mandated mission.

Remember that:  "it is by grace that we are saved [by the One Mighty and Strong], after all we can do!"   2 Ne 25:23

Recently I asked two different people in the Work, who have labored to gain more than average legal experience and knowledge, the following question:  Will you please rank the US Government, the LDS Church, the Short Creek Leadership and the Priesthood Work Leadership through the filter of administering justice and freedom versus tyranny or arbitrary judgments?

They both agreed, separately, that there is more justice being administered in the US government system today than in the other three organizations and they then both put them in this order:

1- US government = the most just

2- LDS Church

3- Priesthood Work Leadership

4- Short Creek Leadership = the least just

Do you agree?  How would you rank order those four organizations listed above concerning which administers the most correct justice out to its subjects?   Why would they rank us barely above Short Creek in next to last place? Why?

I have been reflecting on my knowledge and experiences with each of these four groups.  In my few legal dealings with US and State governments I have noticed that if there is a hearing, or a trial, both sides of the argument are present, at the same time, and the judge has no prejudicial contact with either side whatsoever before the hearing.  Both sides get to speak and to be heard by their opponent, a jury of peers, legal experts counseling each side and an impartial judge.  Granted they are all fallible and not always very God fearing but there is a balancing effect which helps sort and cancel out some of the negatives, tending to give a more just outcome.

In my trial experience dealing with justice courts in the LDS Church, I talked to my Stake President for several hours explaining my beliefs and how I arrived at that position.  He lamented that I had made those decisions and confided in me that he had been tempted to study the differences between early Mormonism and modern Mormonism, but got so busy that he never got around to it again, and was so glad that he was still ignorant of those details.  He, nonetheless, insisted that I come to a church trial for my membership.  I asked him if I could represent myself and he said no, because he felt that I was too powerful a speaker and have too many persuasive skills.  I told him that if I could not speak, I saw no reason to attend for it would positively be an unjust trial, to say the least.  I then suggested he represent me, the best he could, in my absence, and that I would wait for a future hearing that would be far more fair and just.

My experiences with trials and seeking justice, within the Work, are more plentiful.  I was asked by Bro. Owen to help him craft what we have of a justice system back in the 1980s.  I participated with Bro. Owen in two hearings with John Ray.  I called the trials on Joe, George, and with my wife, we called forth the proceedings on Chevrol.  I also called for a trial on Owen concerning his divorce policy in an attempt to move us closer to the scriptural truths on that essential doctrine.  The trial on Bro. Owen went through a transformation from a form of godliness, into a sham or mockery of justice, and I ended up disfellowship for about 15 months.  So far, concerning me personally, I have been convicted by a court where the outcome was predetermined, the judge was my chief prosecutor and in direct cahoots with and taking orders from the defendant.  I had no visible council, was not allowed to present my points of view. My few witnesses were badgered, the rules and procedure of the court were totally controlled by the defendant, himself, and the court was flipped upside down into a trial really of me, myself.  Other than that it had a veneer of justice. At least it was not held in the wee hours of the night which is its most redeeming virtue. 

Lately I wrote 2 opinion papers concerning the great evil found in this Work, and proposed some 95 Questions that Still Need Answering, and a few possible solutions for which I was again disfellowshipped for even daring to think, and to write some different ways to look at the hard problems facing us as a people.  No information gleaning hearing was held with me at all, until after my public maiming was announced from "Dan to Beersheba" with great and swelling emotion.  Comparing my experiences, of late, with those of the US and Church courts, proves they do indeed seem to administer more justice and protect my freedoms given me by God than I’ve so far received from the leadership in this Work. 

Well, Short Creek does seem to be a little more tyrannical than us but which way are we stampeding?  Their leadership simply waves a priest.hood wand and the trial is quickly over.  End of discussion.  I guess, come to think of it, that is not much different than in the Work, at least, this last go around.  We’ll see what principles our leaders follow as my blog of what I am personally witnessing, comes out to be scripturally judged by you, my peers. 

Webster defines justice as:  the virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due; practical conformity to the laws of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other; honesty; impartiality and deciding controversies according to the laws.

Tyranny, on the opposite hand, means a government where absolute power is vested in one or a few rulers, unrestrained by law or truth.  A tyrant is one who uses harsh, abrupt, arbitrary power - oft times brutally.

If my experiences are typical of many, many in this Work, simply ask the boatload of men who have had a wife illegally taken away from them, without even a hearing, and many times not even given the courtesy of knowing about the verdict after the “non-trial” was held.  Ask them how they feel about tyranny in this “work.”  Be prepared for some emotion if you dare ask, but I promise you, if you do venture forth, it will prove to be instructive to those of you with less experience.

When one contemplates the US government driving our people out of the then known U.S. borders, persecuting us from the 1830s on through the 1950s [a hundred and twenty years war?] one must truly come to the point of asking how is it that we, in this Work, appear to have descended to a baser level where we have less justice among us than such an evil government presiding over our country? Is this a possible sign that we are now going downhill faster than they are?  Will we hit the bottom before they do?  Are the cleansing powers of God going to start with us first or them?

The five basic principles in the First Amendment are:  1) freedom to worship God the best you understand truth without being controlled against your conscience.  2)  Freedom to speak openly what you think is best.  3) Free Agency to write your views and to challenge other points of view as tactfully as you are able.  4) Freedom to assemble in a meeting without a mandatory permit or being monitored.  5)  Freedom to petition those who “rule” over you and to exert social pressure on matters you deem unjust and that need correcting. 

In the Work how are we doing, when measured by these five eternal principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ found in Amendment One?  Are we free or are we forced to worship in lock step with the council's sometimes arbitrary mandates and creeds, or can we, at least,  decide to differ sometimes, and still be allowed to work together in the great overlap areas where we do fully agree with each other, according to our best understanding of the scriptures?  Isn't this in accordance with the spirit of:  "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may."  Article of Faith #11.  Also ponder the prophet's words:  "I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds set up [or] stakes, and say, 'Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further'; which I cannot subscribe to."   TPJS 327

Are we really free to openly express our theories or our point of view as currently held, as we test them on each other without being stoned for heresy and blasphemy?  If we can back up different ways of viewing issues with great scriptural support, is that allowed even a little among us?  The Lord commands: 

“Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the Gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God…”  D&C 88:78

Did you notice that theory was first in the list of things we need to be teaching and discussing before we stone each other?  Why so much fear among us?  Don't we have confidence in each other that given enough study and prayer that we all will come up eventually to see "eye to eye?"

The freedom to write one’s views and to have them “tested by the Word of God” is fundamental in our religion, isn’t it? 

“Mr. Olney has also been tried by the High Council and disfellowshipped, because he would not have his writings tested by the word of God; evidently proving that he loves darkness rather than light, because his deeds are evil.”  TPJS 215   If all of us, high or low, can't be challenged to prove our personal views by scriptural comparison , of how much practical use are the Scriptures then?

Doesn’t this apply equally to each of us, even to council members?  Are we all willing to have our opinions tested by the Scriptures as the standard?  I hope so.  But that does imply that we must daily be studying the Scriptures, more than other philosophies, and opinions, to be able to use them as true measuring instruments effectively, doesn't it? 

Can we still meet without a permit in the Work?  I think so and that is a little encouraging isn’t it?  [this is now modified in the listening over the phone to meetings at the RCA building]

Are we allowed to petition the council, as a people, or as a small group of people, suggesting they follow the scriptures and teachings of the prophets more closely or even for a redress of grievances where we see the need? 

No! 

That seems to be asking for way too much freedom or our God given free agency rights in those areas, especially if it touches their traditions personally.

So dear reader, you judge - how free are you in this Work, measured only by two principles, those of receiving a just, impartial hearing, and by our God endowed First Amendment rights?

Bro. Steve


P.S.  Why is this happening among us too as it has for centuries described in our history books?

We all know well the tragic Biblical story of David, king of Israel.  We realize that the Lord, in the beginning, called David, “the apple of his eye” and even after his fall, for hundreds of years, used the outstanding early life of David as the best example He could find of integrity in all Israel.  We also remember that David held the priesthood and even had the right to appoint and perform ordinances, but that he had not advanced to the degree that he had full Priesthood power which would have only come from the Savior’s hands ordaining him personally making him part of the  “one man” or united quorum [Hel. 10:7-11 & WW 1880:78-85]

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the Spirit and Power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood and the Priesthood that he received, and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised out of his lineage….  Peter says, ‘I would ye had done it [sin] ignorantly … He did not say to them [David or others in authoritative positions who sin against knowledge] repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins; but he said, ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord [why couldn’t baptism cover sinning against light, or the Holy Ghost, then or now?].’  TPJS 339

We also understand that David committed adultery even after he already had been richly blessed and had been inducted into the order of celestial plural marriage, and on top of that, he had a faithful friend, one of his totally trusted military generals “executed” by using yet another friend to cover his adultery from coming to light. Is this an example of how the “oath of brotherhood” is perverted into a Gadianton oath of covering one another’s sins?  [This is obviously a twisting of Lorin Woolley’s statement that he would lie like hell to protect his brethren.  I’m sure he did not mean by that to cover sin but just to keep them out of harm’s way from corrupt enemy government henchmen.]  How did such a good man, David, fall thus from his exaltation so quickly breaking the 6^th, 7^th, 8^th,9^th and 10^th commandments, at least? 

None the less, David and Bathsheba fell, and both committed adultery greatly weakening the genealogical line the Savior was to be born through.  Had Bathsheba, originally, married the wrong man?  It appears so, but if David would have only been patient, Bathsheba’s husband would have been most likely killed in battle naturally, and David could have had Bathsheba legally without either of them sinning, but they both pushed the envelope as they say, didn’t they and went to hell?

What have been the consequences over the last 3000 years of these lustful acts?  By lustful we mean beyond the bounds of the compass that we all wear.  Of course you know that David’s family fell apart after that with incest blowing the circuits of the scoreboard, a son debauching several of his father’s wives while David was temporarily driven out of town.  Another brother raped his beautiful virgin sister and afterward threw her out of doors as a piece of trash.  Is that kind of evil also going on among us, do you think?  Brother killed brother etc. etc. harrowing up David and his entire family for the sins of the father.  Where is David a thousand years after his sins?  The true Apostle, Peter, said David’s grave was still with them or in other words he was not resurrected with the Saints at the resurrection of Jesus.  It appears he still hasn’t been resurrected and it has been now about 3000 years in hell suffering for his sins and all that for just defrauding one man out of his wife and then covering his sin.  It appears that Bathsheba didn’t have any children yet and so, the man with almost absolute authority, only destroyed a small beginning family because of lust or going beyond his legal bounds.  What if Bathsheba had had a large family with many children? What would have been the effect of the adultery and divorce entailing upon all of them, and for how many generations would its corrupting influence have been felt on so many?

If we look for examples closer to home, in our day, of men claiming “almost absolute authority,” the Council of Colorado City pops up quickly into our minds.  When such men with supposed almost almighty authority, but without the Word of the Lord, unjustly dismember or “kill” say, 50 families, some of which are large, teeming with many children, what do you feel would be the results entailing on such men for playing God?  If David has, so far, suffered for three thousand years just for Bathsheba and killing Uriah’s one family, what might entail on men who “murdered” many times that with their little authority as they suppose?  Sobering questions aren’t they?  Don’t you just want to fall on your knees and beg God to make you the head of the Priesthood in our day, when it appears as President B.H. Roberts testified, that we have Prophets who can’t prophesy and Seers who can’t see anymore and thus all these undermined families are “blown to smithereens”, and fall into the “proverbial ditch” often destroying their children’s budding testimonies?  [Truth 8:175-76]  We also highly recommend you prayerfully study Pres. Mus.ser’s editorial on “The Divorce Evil” in Truth 7:200-202.  Your salvation depends on fully understanding these doctrines and applying them if you ever want to go to the Celestial Kingdom by living celestial laws!

Above we used the words: almost absolute authority, which begins to actually describe and define a tyrant.  Webster says a tyrant is: “a monarch or other ruler or master who uses power to oppress – a person who exercises unlawful authority, or lawful authority in an unlawful manner; one who by taxation, injustice or cruel punishment, or the demand of unreasonable services, imposes burdens and hardships on those under his control, which law and humanity do not authorize, or which the purposes of government do not require…. Hence tyranny is often synonymous with cruelty and oppression.”

Immediately pictures of people flood into our minds from history fleshing out this definition such as:  Cain, Caesar, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao Tse-tung, the Council in Short Creek etc. Did you also add, because of our discussion so far, King David whose power corrupted him absolutely as our title states?  Do you think you could find 50 men over the last 40 years, in our Work, who passionately protest against having been bulldozed over by our Priesthood Council, wives having been ripped away from them, often with very questionable justification and almost always without real revelation to authoritatively break the eternal covenant?  For a more detailed discussion of what real revelation is see:  95 Questions That Still Need Answering by Bro. Steve [Blog # 6 published Oct. 12, 2014] and also see Truth 8:175-176 & 8:260-262.

What did the Lord put into place to help check such unrighteous dominion or wrong use of power: prophet power, presiding priesthood power, and “king-men” or those for total governing power among us?  The obvious answer is that both Joseph Smith and Joseph Musser wrote extensively about The Lord’s Justice System partially described in D&C 102, and again by Brother Steve way back in 1997: Why is Justice a Chief Attribute of God and a Godly People originally published in the Candlestick [Coming Blogs 11-24].  Again why is a Supreme Court needed in our United States national system?  To balance the President and Congress,of course.  What balances the almost absolute authority of the President of the Priesthood and the Council in our Work today?  Nothing!  Have you noticed the headers and footers of each and every page [in the original hard copy], one of which says:  "A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody"?  Thomas Paine? 

Since human nature has not changed in, or out of the Work, since the Fall of mankind, then does it seem reasonable to you that such a system as Bro. Musser taught us about, needs to be also put in place among us - in our “united orders,” to help us with our petitions for divorce, and to settle the cases where more powerful people take advantage of less powerful people in financial matters?

“We have learned [have you yet?] by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”    D&C 121:39

There is a principle of Priesthood law mentioned in British Common Law, in United States Constitutional Law, in the Book of Mormon and implied in the D&C that fleshes out a Priesthood Justice System called “interposition.”  This principle of law was attempted to be used by the South in stopping the Civil Rights legislation in the 1950s but was discredited by our rogue Supreme Court, the same court responsible for the murder of about 40,000,000 babies since 1973 or approximately the population of California.  The principle of interposition is once again being called upon to stop Obama Care by several states in the Union. What do the little guys do if the big guys, with all the power, begin to move into advanced tyranny of unrighteous dominion? 

In Mosiah 29:29 [verses 27 & 28 are also germane] we have a brief mention of this principle of Priesthood law and government, called interposition: “If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.”

Applying that to the Work, if the Council largely became complicit in un-righteous dominion, covering very serious sins, grossly misappropriating tithing funds etc., then before it is eternally too late and before “amen to their priesthood,” would it not rightfully devolve upon the next ranking bodies of Priesthood, the Seventies [and those High Priests also living the celestial law of marriage], to hear the case against the Council, and to rule a righteous judgment?  [John 7:24 and JST Matt. 7:1]  That, of course, presupposes that the Seventies and the High Priests were trained in a Priesthood Justice System [the purpose of several blogs forthcoming], which most of them are not yet even very aware of.  

What about the D&C?  Where is this principle implied?  Check out:  D&C 107:24, 26, 32 & 36:    

“And they form a quorum [a united body of Priesthood with the Spirit of God filling them], equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned….  And they form a quorum equal in authority to that of the Twelve special witnesses or Apostles just named….  And in case that any decision of these quorums is made in unrighteousness, it may be brought before a general assembly of the several quorums, which constitutes the spiritual authorities of the church [gathered believers or assembly in Greek]; otherwise there is no appeal from their decision….  The standing high councils at the stakes of Zion, form a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church [gathered believers or assembly in Greek into which we were all baptized] in all their decisions, to the quorum of the presidency, or to the traveling high council.  The high council in Zion [celestial law] form a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church, [Lord’s definition of church in D&C 10:67-69] in all their decisions, to the councils of the Twelve at the stakes [colonies] of Zion.”

Some may try to dismiss the scriptures above by saying they only apply to the nation or the Church, but remember the Lord gives us a pattern in all things and which applies on all levels from the telestial to Celestial Kingdoms or that which should be found in this Work - including the government of nations to the government of the Kingdom of God and God’s Priesthood on both sides of the veil.

Hopefully you are beginning to understand that all these Priesthood classes we have been attending for years and all the thousands and hundreds of thousands of hours we have spent fasting, praying and studying the Gospel is so we will apply it into our lives, isn’t it?  If we believe in all these principles but don’t apply them, aren’t we also like the ones described by the Lord when he condemned them who say but don’t do, individually or collectively?  Also if we don’t counsel together and correct ourselves with the principles the Lord has revealed, as far as we can, before the One Mighty and Strong comes, won’t we likely be viewed as that which is only worthy to be “acted upon” [the non-valiant], and not spiritually righteous enough to receive revelation through the “keys” each endowed person has received?  

Let’s now look at some fundamental parts of a Priesthood Justice System by looking at the foundations of correct government being established in this country during the Revolution of 1775 – 1781.  What was the spark that ignited all the theory into action?  Written words in a small pamphlet exposed the fallacy of some false doctrine which had kept the blood of Israel in the chains of bondage for over 2500 years.  You may remember it was called Common Sense and was written by Thomas Paine.  One of the main principles that Paine elucidated on was the fallacy of the doctrine of the “divine rights of kings.” 

The kings taught that they were God’s representatives on the earth.  No matter how they acted, God had chosen them and there was nothing the common man could do to legally rein them in.  So the thought to the God-fearing men in this country [and in this Work] of taking a position of fighting against God, their Divine Sovereign, kept them from moving from theory to actually setting things in order by applying correct Gospel principles.  Paine showed the world that kings, and the principle of total government  [totalitarianism], also so prevalent in our day, nationally and religiously, which we find examples of in Russia, China, Iran, and in Short Creek and, oh, yes also in hell, is given to the people when they won’t follow correct principle for such a long time that God curses them with kings [or sin-filled priesthood leaders].  99% of the time, these tyrants, were and are, unrighteous, as we clearly understand by reading in the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and the book of Ether as well as current newspapers [see 1 Samuel 8:7]. 

The very rare exceptions to this rule are but a few righteous rulers, or leaders, who could survive the terrible weight of “almost absolute power” as seen in such men as Nephi, Benjamin, Mosiah and other prophet kings or king-priests such as Shem or Melchizedek and Joseph Smith.  These wonderful men give us hope that someday pure Priesthood brothers will be sufficiently developed who will be able to justly reign with Christ as He becomes King of kings.

Another important concept to clearly grasp is seen when we ask the question, who were the “rebels” in this Revolutionary War conflict, and who were the true patriots following correct Gospel principles?  Who was rebelling against centuries and centuries of principles of free government, stemming from the days of Moses about 1400 B.C., the kings and Parliament of England or the Patriots?

If you are uncertain on this important point realize that The Declaration of Independence was, in some ways, a document of “interposition” listing 27 monumental grievances, or atrocities, against the tyrannical king, George the III of England, and demonstrating that he had violated his “oath and covenant” with the church politick or the “general assembly of Israel” as a lineage through his unrighteous dominion.

You might be saying at this juncture that that may have been true before Priesthood was restored in this dispensation, but now we are under a theocracy and not a theo-democracy which is only to be found in the Church. The implied premise of this narrow position, that we, as a priesthood body, are a theocracy and that no democratic principle of balancing power is present in the Priesthood Work, is that we have a man, who like Moses is getting real revelations and not just “inspiration” such as any good Methodist might also receive.  If we have no real “one man” with power like Nephi, son of Helaman or of Joseph Smith caliber which we read of in D&C 132, then the “theo” or God-part of theo - cracy vanishes leaving us with only “cracy” or arbitrary government rule which is often filled with tyrannical mon-archy or, historically, a more stable form called olig-archy or the rule of a few powerful ones but not usually who are in contact with God.  

“Behold, I give unto you [righteous Nephi] power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people…. And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done…. Go declare unto this people, that Thus Saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty; Except ye repent ye shall be smitten even unto destruction.    Helaman 10:7, 9.

When a man has come to a state of purity to that degree, where we have good reason to trust him in great measure because he has visibly proven his love and devotion to God, then we would be more justified in relying on his words with much more confidence than just an ordinary non quickened man just standing in some office, even that of presiding in Israel, as king or president. 

While Joseph Smith was running for the Presidency of the United States he said the following as part of his platform:

“As the ‘world is governed too much’ and as there is not a nation or dynasty, now occupying the earth, which acknowledges Almighty God as their law giver, and as ‘crowns won by blood, by blood must be maintained,’ I go emphatically, virtuously, and humanely for a THEODEMOCRACY, where God and the people hold the power to conduct the affairs of men in righteousness.”     T&S 5:510

In this same spirit consider D&C 64:38-42:

“the inhabitants [demo = people] of Zion SHALL JUDGE all things pertaining to Zion.  And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known.  And even the bishop who is a judge and his counselors, if they are not faithful in their stewardships shall be condemned, and others shall be planted in their stead.  For, behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her; and she shall be an ensign unto the people…”    [see also: Treasures of Know. 1:31]

Drawing from this revelation, does the Lord expect Zion, or the people trying hard to live celestial law, to root out and expose liars and hypocrites who are among their leaders?  Is He also describing the fact that men claiming to be apostles and prophets but who weren’t properly called or who don’t have that much of the Spirit of God are to be exposed somehow? If they don’t or can’t repent when exposed, what should happen to them?  By what process are they to be condemned and others planted in their stead in this Work?  Obviously as this Work becomes more and more Zion-like, these principles of the Lord’s Justice System will be fully developed and practiced won’t they?

President Brigham Young adds to what the Lord has revealed to the Prophet when he further instructed us on more of the details of this Priesthood Justice System that must be fully established in this Work or else it seems we may be getting to the stage where it is amen to our Priesthood as a people.  Pres. Young spoke of “theo-republics” and “theo-democracies” being the same to him.

“I believe in a true republican theocracy, and also in a true democratic theocracy, as the term democratic is now used; for they are to me, in their present use, convertible terms.  What do I understand by a theocratic government? One in which all laws are enacted and executed in righteousness, and whose officers possess that power which proceedeth from the Almighty. That is the kind of government I allude to when I speak of a theocratic government, or the kingdom of God upon the earth. It is, in short, the eternal powers of the Gods."

"What do the world understand theocracy to be? A poor, rotten government of man, that would say, without the shadow of provocation or just cause, ‘Cut that man's head off [his wife & family?]; put that one on the rack [disfellowship without a hearing]; arrest another, and retain him in unlawful and unjust duress while you plunder his property and pollute his wife and daughters; massacre here and there.’ The Lord Almighty does nothing of that kind, neither does any man who is controlled by his Spirit. Again, the theocracy I speak of is the power of the Holy Ghost within you  [higher order revelation from God] — that living and eternal principle that we do not possess in the fullness that we are seeking. When we talk about heavenly things, and see the world [Work?] groveling in their sin and misery, and loving iniquity and corruption, the heavens weep over the people, and still they will not infringe upon their rights. God has created them so far perfectly independent as to be able to choose death or life; and he will not infringe upon this right.”     Brigham Young    JD 6:346-7

So in our day are the totalitarian principles of the “infallibility of the Pope or king”, or “follow the living prophet blindly” who will “never lead you astray” now manifested in this Work as:  the man holding the “keys” who is supposed to get revelation but can’t, has spoken - so rest assured, there is no corruption among us coming from the Priesthood Council at all, and therefore no need to correct any evil among our leaders?  With the testimonies and documents coming out in the near future you should clearly be able to see that that that position is blatantly naïve and false!  Do you believe that repentance and “return and report” accountability is also sorely needed for the priesthood council as well as all the rest of us?

Now I will address some of the objections to what has been written thus far.  The “you are out of order, because you are steadying the ark” charge will now be briefly examined.  To refresh our memory of this historical allusion we read:

“When Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath [one of Aarons priestly sons] shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.”   Num. 4:15

The Levites would be like our deacons and teachers and the Aaronites would be like our priests. Only one of the three bodies of the Aaronic priests, were even allowed to touch the sacred Ark upon penalty of death.  For the other two groups of Aaronite priests, it was beyond the scope of their calling to even touch the Ark or in other words they didn't have the priesthood calling to do it. 

Now we move forward in time to about 400 years into the days of King David.  David had gathered 30,000 choice men of Israel to transport the Ark to Jerusalem but the Levites made a serious procedural error.  God had commanded that the Ark be carried on the backs by one of the groups of Levites who were not allowed to even touch the Ark, and instead they made a new cart violating the Lord’s strict Levitical Law of Moses commandment seen above in Numbers chapter 4 which we just read. 

“They set the ark of God upon a new cart … and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab drave the new cart …        and when they came to to Naachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”        2 Sam 6:3-7

Later David said: 

“None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God… because ye did not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order … and the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.”       I Chron. 15:2, 13, 15 

We clearly see that none but the Priests of Aaron could touch the Ark, not even a Levite priest.hood bearer, who carried it.  What is the main point for our gleaning here?  Heavenly Father wants us also to strictly follow His commands as well where only the proper person should precisely do what the duty of his office commands.  After the tragic death of Uzzah, David waited three months before he would even go near the Ark out of fear, but we know he still didn’t fully get the message because of the stark violation of the command, “be ye clean who bear the vessels of the Lord” when applied to David’s stark sinning against se.xual purity with Bathsheba. 

In D&C 85:7, 8 the Lord alludes to the example above from the Old Testament but with some differing details:

“And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God;  While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning.”

The One Mighty and Strong refers to Jehovah, in the Old Testament, or anyone He sends and empowers, generally a resurrected or translated person.  Only He can ultimately set in order, the out of order house of God in our day.  But who is the man who was called of God properly, and appointed who tries to steady the Ark and is struck down?  On November 13, 1905 Pres. Joseph F. Smith took the position that the man was Bishop Edward Partridge though his quick death was mitigated because of sincere and fervent repentance.  Then Pres. Smith adds:  

“If, however, there are those who will still insist that the prophecy concerning the coming of ‘one mighty and strong’ is still to be regarded as relating to the future, let the Latter-day Saints know that he will be a future Bishop of the Church … with the spirit and power of his calling, that he will be able to set in order the house of God….”

We see here that Pres. Smith has enlightened us by revealing that the house of God will be set in order by a legal priesthood bearer or possibly, we might add, by a group of them and he/they will have “the Spirit and Power of his/their calling.”  We know that even a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood is commanded to: “see that there is no iniquity in the church [or the Group]” D&C 20:54  how much more so,  Melchizedek Priesthood bearers, called by a true Prophet, Rul.on C. All.red, and empowered and commanded by the Lord to, at least, cry repentance to the people? 

By shining a light into the now, often habitually accepted darkness among us, we may also be accused of operating in the office of the adversary by being “accusers of the brethren.” Again this argument, this misguided attempt to stop justice in its tracks with such a gross misapplication of scripture, has been well handled, on pages 23-30 of the, already mentioned Why is Justice a Chief Attribute of GOD and a Godly People?  Get a copy.  [Blogs 11- 24].    

Next we hear the wailing of children among us, still fixated in what was allowed to happen to them, often now adults, who say, yes there truly are/were abominations by which I was ab.used, but I will not bring them forth into the light because to do so will violate the 5^th of the Ten Commandments:  “Honor thy father and thy mother….”  To expose them to the justice they deserve won’t be done by me because I won’t break this commandment and add to the hurt of my family and to the already tarnished image of this Work. 

This not seeing clearly the actual truth is perhaps reminiscent of the lie about the official regal clothing of the emperor who in reality wore no clothes at all, which truth was only seen clearly by a courageous child.  By extension we might also apply this reasoning by saying that all our leaders, teachers etc.are representative of  our fathers and mothers of this 5^th commandment, and so we will not use our influence to tell the truth about them either.  We can go on with this foundation-less logic and say even our evil government officials are not to be brought to trial because of their protected positions implied by the 5^th commandment.  By the way, does the Pres. of the Priesthood today, actually have on clothes, or true habiliments of Priesthood Power, or is he stark naked?  What do you personally perceive with your spiritual eyes? Do you have the courage to "make a righteous judgment" as the young child, or are you part of the "trained masses"?

Does God command us to honor evil?  No!  Does He mandate that we honor evil parents, teachers and leaders as well, or rather only those parents, teachers and leaders are to be honored to the degree that they honor the pure commandments of God? What does it take for the devil to be triumphant on this earth?  Is it not for good men and women to do nothing to stop the spread of evil, frozen in their tracks by misguided notions that are devoid of the truth?  Isn’t this perverted loyalty like that found among doomed victims of secret combinations of evil?  Are some of us in this Work deciding to remain victims because of our fear of standing up and loudly proclaiming, “What happened to me was very wrong!”?  Do you realize that you will stay stuck in that childish victimized mentality until you receive the courage from God to speak against the evil done to you, which, when you do, will start your healing and move you from the grasp of the evil chains of our adversary into the healing light of Jesus Christ.

You might be saying: "Alright, to fully hear you out, before judging you to be an apostate, we want to understand what you believe the Lord is commanding you to do about all the evil among us that most of us are too afraid to bring into the light of day."

A terrible truth that needs to be pointed out is that when we, each of us, doesn’t have the courage to speak out against and expose sin and evil among us, for whatever excuse, we actually end up casting our vote for and condoning the very iniquity that we so loath and hate, and thereby actually strengthen the evil by our silence becoming participants with the devil by default?    

But the Lord has revealed clear instructions for our deliverance by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

D&C 134:8  “We believe that … all men [women and children] should step forward and use their ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment.”

Evil can only survive and thrive in the darkness, in the hidden darkness of fear and shame!

2 Ne 3:5    Wherefore, Joseph [in Egypt] truly saw [seer] our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord… [that] the Messiah should be made manifest unto them [us] in the latter days, in the spirit of power, the bringing of them [us] out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

Some souls filled with fear and lacking sufficient courage and faith in God, might misapply a quote from the Prophet as an excuse to do nothing: 

“Our lives have already become jeopardized by revealing the wicked and bloodthirsty purposes of our enemies and for the future we must cease to do so.  All we have said about them is truth, but it is not always wise to relate all the truth.”  HC 6:608

Is there a difference between cleansing the “inside of the platter” of this Work, and revealing too much of all the evils of the secret satanic conspiracy imprisoning this world in chains more and more each day?  We, who are servants of the Lord, are commanded to cry repentance generally unto the people, and then the responsibility is upon them for their own sins and not on those of us charged with this great responsibility.

While the Prophet was in Liberty Jail he wrote revelatory letters making up sections 121-123.  The following clearly lays out our responsibility within the Work and outside of the Work, and if we are to honor our sacred covenants by obeying the “law of the Gospel” as contained in the Scriptures, then how can we be justified and fail to fulfill such injunctions?  Are the principles in these revelations applicable to the Work we are in today?  Nephi's council answers that question very well when he said: 

"I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning."  1 Ne. 19:23

“D&C 123:1-17:  “…we would suggest for your consideration the propriety of all the saints gathering up a knowledge of all the facts, and sufferings and abuses put upon them … And also of all the … damages which they have sustained, both of character and personal injuries …And also the names of all persons that have had a hand in their oppressions, as far as they can get hold of them and find them out … And perhaps a committee can be appointed to find out these things, and to take statements and affidavits … and present the whole concatenation of diabolical rascality and nefarious … impositions that have been practiced upon this people … in all their dark and hellish hue, as the last effort which is enjoined on us by our Heavenly Father, before we can fully and completely claim that promise which shall call Him forth from his hiding place; that the[y] … may be left without excuse before He can send forth the power of his mighty arm.

… “It is an imperative duty that we owe to God, to angels, with whom we shall be brought to stand, and also to ourselves, to our wives and children, who have been made to bow down with grief, sorrow, and care, under the most damning hand of … tyranny, and oppression, supported and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers, who have inherited lies, upon the hearts of the children, and filled the world [Work] with confusion, and has been growing stronger and stronger, and is now the very mainspring of all corruption, and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity … 

Therefore it is an imperative duty that we owe, not only to our own wives and children, but to the widows and fatherless…under its iron hand;  Which dark and blackening deeds are enough to make hell itself shudder, and to stand aghast and pale, and the hands of the very devil to tremble and palsy … 

It is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart … who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive … Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven … These should then be attended to with great earnestness. Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things … Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”

In keeping with these revelations and inspired instructions from the Lord, do you intend to accomplish your “imperative duty” of “bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness” in this Work UNTIL ACCOUNTABILITY IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED?   

Many people have expressed the point of view that this unsavory situation with Bro. Lynn will never be resolved until there is an impartial hearing justly evaluating the mounting charges being leveled against him.  But who shall be the jury?  This question seems to be a bit like fly paper, too sticky to ever be free from or we might call it “a real dilemma” also.  Do you honestly think one could find even 6 righteous men among us who would dare hear charges against their file leader and much more, dare render a just verdict against him if warranted?

Consider the trial I convened against Bro. Owen, for adultery, back in 2001.  I personally witnessed that the 15 judges, all good men, none of whom were very anxious to cross him even a little.  If Bro. Owen said “no” to anything whatsoever, in the trial, all jumped up and clicked their heels and agreed that whatever he said was the “law”.  His tone of what he would allow, right or wrong, was the dominant governing principle then and it would be in such a hearing on Bro. Lynn as well.  Imagine how much justice would prevail in such an investigation, as that in 2001, where, for example, I was not allowed to present one piece of evidence or even cross examine his witnesses – not one piece of evidence!  Not one of the judges objected not even the ones who are now on the council. 

After approximately an hour, Bro Owen finally, out of the "magnanimity of his heart", allowed me to finally present one single document, and only one document, which was an editorial by Pres. J.W.Musser, from Truth 7:200-202 - "The Divorce Evil".  The judges wrestled against Brother Musser’s logic and spirit for more than an hour, finding it an impossible task to defeat his power filled words.  Finally, the court I called, was turned back on me and the next six hours were a trial against Bro. Steve. Almost magically, all the judges, became prosecuting attorneys against me.   And what was my crime?  I violated the greatest, unspoken commandment among us, that of even daring to bring any question or charge against the file leader over all priesthood!  HERESY!!! “What gives you the right to even question this holy man of God?  How dare you bring the vile charge of adultery against the man who holds the Keys of the priest.hood, God’s prophet of over the whole earth!?” 

My few allowed witnesses were rudely cross examined and roughly treated.  Bro. Owen was allowed to even bring forth secondary witnesses but they couldn’t be cross examined, very much, because they didn’t have enough knowledge of the situation to answer.  They were but substitutes of the real witnesses.  Next, a highly charged and lengthy letter was submitted and accepted as “evidence” but the author was not even present to be cross examined by me, my witnesses or the 15 judges.  Was this a justice court or a “kangaroo court”?  A few days later, a 54 page appeal containing a sampling of the documents from both sides, will become Blogs #s 32 – 42 so you can get a bit of the flavor of such embarrassing and tyrannical proceedings under the direction of an often short sighted group called the priesthood. 

What if, in an investigation of Bro. Lynn, one or more of the judges eventually became convinced during the course of the hearing that some or all of the charges and evidence being offered against Bro. Lynn, might have merit?  How many men in this Work would have the courage to stand up, think for themselves and judge a righteous judgment?  If, on the one hand, the presiding judge ruled that Lynn was innocent of all charges, but even two or three didn’t agree with his ruling, would we gain any ground toward deciding on what is true or false in this situation?  Obviously not!

So what are we to do?  What would be a better solution that we could all live with?  In the KJV of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, (Matt. 7:1) we read:  “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  Some narrowly interpret that to mean that we should thus never decide or evaluate the merits, for or against, in a disagreement between two individuals and their varied points of view. 

We have been taught that contention is always of the devil: "he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil."         3 Ne 11:29  But have we looked at both sides of the coin before we once again jump to false conclusions?  Consider Jesus also teaching the opposite point of view in D&C 18:20.  "Contend against no 'church' [gathering of people] save it be the church of the devil."  What does does the Lord mean by that?  Consider:  "... ask God ... that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men, for some are of men and others of devils."  (D&C 46:7)  If a servant of God filled with light and truth calls somebody to repentance, there truly is conflict there and someone may become offended by it and yell and scream and fill with a bad spirit.  But is the servant of God filled with the spirit of contention?  No, he is filled with the spirit of the Lord which contends against all darkness and untruth.  So is the Lord commanding us to contend, or to stand up against people, especially among us, who preach false doctrines?  Should we bring their teachings and actions into the light of day for judgment or not? 

Don’t you really believe that we should evaluate and make judgments every day to even survive in this world?  Then what was Jesus really saying?  The prophet corrected the meaning of the verse to say:  “Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged: but judge righteous judgment.”  Again, the apostle John [in John 7:24, 51] testified to the same truth when he wrote:  “Judge not according to ‘appearances’ [alternate translation – ‘traditions’], but judge righteous judgment.”  Thus when we judge by fixed principles of truth, as those found in the scriptures, while discerning by the power of the Holy Ghost, we are thus enabled to take off the colored lenses of our traditions which then enables us to view clearly, discerning truth from error in matters of disagreement or contention. 

The next question that keeps popping up is, who gives you, Bro. Steve, the right to even be looking into this matter with Bro. Lynn?  That is a good question and needs to be addressed, to be sure.  Did Jesus say we have no right to judge, or rather that if we find ourselves in a situation where we feel we have to make judgments, do it with true, eternal principles and with the Spirit of God?  Jesus commanded us to judge righteously, didn’t He?  Another may say, yes, but only one another, not one of the apostles!  Notice, however, that Jesus expressly says we have the right and the duty to even judge apostles and prophets. 

“… the inhabitants [men & women?] of Zion [those trying to live celestial principles – right?] shall judge ALL things pertaining to Zion. And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known.”   (D&C 64:38-39)  The word “shall” is the English imperative command that indicates that if we are trying to apply celestial principles we “shall” prove, judge or even try apostles to see if they are liars or hypocrites [wearing a mask] or merely posing as saints.

The evidence I’ve read and heard, so far, by those brave ones willing to stand up for correct principle, courageously sticking their necks out of their protective fox holes, and also others who are yet building up courage to testify what they know from experience to be the truth, offends me greatly!  Most of you haven’t yet seen even half of the evidence that has presented itself even to me, and the council probably has even more testimonies before them.  If you saw and could evaluate the evidence, on your own, would that be a good thing or would knowing more of the truth of this situation, hurt your testimony of God’s holy attribute of justice, and weaken your conviction that it is our duty to bring offenders of God's commandments to an accounting? 

What does the Lord command us to do when somebody offends us or trespasses against us?  Should we just gossip and complain to our neighbors or our friends? Do we have an obligation to the person offending us, to take our reasons and feelings to that person and attempt to work it out with them?  Yes we do!  Don’t we have the duty to apply the Law of the Gospel of Christ, in such situations, as we have covenanted?  What is that Law of God in this case?

Matthew 18:15-17     International Standard Version

Jesus commands us:  "If your brother sins against you [offends you], go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.  But if he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that 'every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.”

In D&C 42:84-93 Jesus commands:  if a man or woman ... do any manner of iniquity, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law, even that of God.

88 And if thy brother or sister offend thee [or sins against you], thou shalt take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled.

89 And if he or she confess not thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the church, not to the members, but to the elders. And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world [this is why I am only using first names].

90 And if thy brother or sister offend many, he or she shall be chastened before many.

91 And if any one offend openly, he or she shall be rebuked openly, that he or she may be ashamed. And if he or she confess not, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of God.

92 If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the church may not speak reproachfully of him or her.

93 And thus shall ye conduct in all things.

What does “offend” mean?  Synonyms are: to shock, to wound, to annoy, to injure, to violate, to disturb, to attack and to make angry.  If - the mounting charges and testimonies of sin that I’ve heard against Bro. Lynn are true, then I am deeply offended that Lynn would even be thought of as presiding among us!  Wouldn’t it also greatly offend you if you knew the charges were true? 

Our feelings aside, what does the Lord command us, in the scriptures above, to do about such violations? Are we to play as the blind, to testify that the "emperor has clothes on" when he doesn't?   Are we to be prematurely merciful and forgive him as in condoning sin before it is repented of?  Is this the price you are willing to pay so that we might have "peace" among us with no "contention" to the point where we call evil - good?  Is that what the Lord would have us do to enable us to be the people of God this year?  No!  Peace comes from the Spirit of God which demands that justice be satisfied first and then the Spirit of God grants mercy to those who have sincerely repented of all their sins.  Penitent ones are forgiven through the Lord’s atonement, not those who deny any wrong doing and keep on sinning year after year, covering their sins while relying on the “mis-timed mercy” of the people.

Bro. Steve